1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to network management systems, and more specifically to a method and apparatus for enabling a user/administrator to monitor managed elements.
2. Related Art
Networking environments often contain several devices interconnected using networks. Examples of devices include, but not limited to, client machines, web server machines, application server machines, database server machines, etc. Networks in turn are generally implemented using network elements such as routers, bridges, repeaters, and switches connected by various wire-based or wireless mediums. In general, networks provide connectivity between various devices.
Network management systems are used to monitor various attributes in devices and network elements, which (devices and network elements) are together hereafter referred to as ‘managed elements’. An attribute generally refers to an entity, the status or a related statistic of which can be determined. Examples of attributes include, but not limited to, operational status of device/network element (or an interface thereon), the utilization (processing power, number of bytes transferred) of disk space/processor/interface, etc., as is well known in the relevant arts.
Vendors often provide network management systems, which monitor and display several attributes. In one prior approach, a vendor determines the attributes of possible interest to users (e.g., administrators or managers), and implements a network management system to retrieve data points of the attributes and display the corresponding data points using a suitable interface. One advantage of such an approach is that the users are provided information of possible interest without requiring substantial configuration.
However, one disadvantage of the approach is that the attributes of possible interest determined by a vendor may not precisely match the actual interest of at least some users. Accordingly, a corresponding network management system may not be entirely suitable to such users. In addition, the attributes of possible interest may not be known/available at a time the network management system is implemented.
In the drawings, like reference numbers generally indicate identical, functionally similar, and/or structurally similar elements. The drawing in which an element first appears is indicated by the leftmost digit(s) in the corresponding reference number.